Where is all the value? The Week 9 NFL main slate on DraftKings seems void of many strong value options. Maybe it is partially due to there being just 10 games on the Sunday main slate with byes, primetime matchups, and another early morning game in London. Maybe it is tougher pricing by DraftKings. Maybe it is just one of those weeks where there aren’t too many injuries that have opened the door for value options to be found. Whatever the reason, be sure to keep a very close eye on any late-breaking injury news leading up to kickoff as finding those one or two value options could really open up the lineup construction we want in our cash game lineups.

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Quarterback

Philip Rivers (LAC): $5,100 vs. GB
Quarterback is a position that I’d recommend saving some salary with this week. Lately, we have been spending up at quarterback in cash games and while an option like Russell Wilson is very appealing this week, the salary saving will be necessary. Rivers is the cheap option that I trust the most. In games this season where the Chargers opponent has scored at least 23 points, Rivers has averaged 24.1 DraftKings points per game. The Chargers play the Packers on Sunday, a team that has scored at least 23 points in six straight games. The Packers pass defense has also been struggling some lately after a good start this season. They have allowed an average of 297 passing yards and 2.0 touchdown passes per game over the last five weeks.

Other Notables:

• Russell Wilson (SEA): $7,100 vs. TB
• Derek Carr (OAK): $5,500 vs. DET
• Matt Moore (KC): $4,800 vs. MIN

Running Backs

Christian McCaffrey (CAR): $10,000 vs. TEN
They finally did it. DraftKings has moved McCaffrey’s salary into five-figures at $10k even. Despite the high salary and less than ideal matchup against the Titans this week, it is still hard not to just plug him into your cash game lineup. After all, he just put up 30.5 DK points against the top run defense in the league (49ers) last week. The other high-end option is Dalvin Cook ($9,500) who has a better matchup against the Chiefs. You will want to fit in at least one of these high-priced studs and should consider cramming them both into your cash game lineup if a couple of value options open up before kickoff.

Jaylen Samuels (PIT): $4,000 vs. IND
This recommendation of Samuels has a big asterisk by it for now. He could offer us some of that salary relief we are looking for on this slate, but he is only an option if James Conner is ruled out. With Benny Snell already on the shelf for this week, if Conner is out that would open the door for a full workload of touches for Samuel in a neutral matchup against the Colts. However, it is the opportunity that we crave at Samuels’ price point in cash games. Keep a close watch on the Steelers injury news over the next couple of days.

Other Notables:

• Dalvin Cook (MIN): $9,500 @ KC
• Le’Veon Bell (NYJ): $7,700 @ MIA
• Aaron Jones (GB): $7,000 @ LAC
• Josh Jacobs (OAK): $6,500 vs. DET

Wide Receivers

Chris Godwin (TB): $7,300 @ SEA
The wide receiver position is loaded with strong options in the $6,000 – $7,000 range this week. I’d love to play three guys from this group but you are likely only able to fit two and maybe just one depending on how injury news shakes out at other positions. Godwin has one of his worst weeks of the season last week when he only had four grabs for 43 yards, but Sunday’s matchup against the Seahawks sets up nicely for a bounce-back effort. The Seahawks grade 22nd according to ProFootballFocus at defending the slot which is the lowest grade in the Seahawks secondary. Godwin lives in the slot and the Buccaneers should be throwing plenty this week as a road underdog in a game with the highest Vegas total on the slate.

Allen Robinson (CHI): $6,800 @ PHI
Even with Mitchell Trubisky (and Chase Daniels) throwing the pigskin for the Bears this season, Robinson has still topped 11 DK points in six out of seven games. This week Robinson and the Bears passing game gets a very favorable matchup against the Eagles secondary which has allowed an average of 186 yards (27th) and 1.5 touchdowns (29th) per game to the wide receiver position. Robinson has been the only constant in the Bears offense this year with at least seven targets in every game. That opportunity should translate into production in this matchup.

Other Notables:

• Kenny Golladay (DET): $7,700 @ OAK
• Tyler Lockett (SEA): $7,500 vs. TB
• Tyreek Hill (KC): $7,400 vs. MIN
• Keenan Allen (LAC): $6,400 vs. GB
• Danny Amendola (DET): $4,700 @ OAK
• Mike Williams (LAC): $4,600 vs. GB

Tight End

Jack Doyle (IND): $3,000 @ PIT
Much like at quarterback, I think tight end is another position where we need to save salary in order to fit in the volume hog running backs and wide receivers that we want. I was ready to write up Colts tight end Eric Ebron in this spot, but he suddenly showed up on the injury report on Thursday, which has me even more intrigued with his tight end running game, Jack Doyle. The Steelers defense has been below average against tight ends this season allowing 5.5 receptions (24th) for 57 yards (21st), and 0.5 touchdowns (23rd) to the position over the last five weeks. Watch the tight end injury status in Indianapolis and also in Tampa Bay as your cheap tight end will likely come from one of those two situations.

Other Notables:

• Darren Waller (OAK): $6,300 vs. DET
• Jonnu Smith (TEN): $3,800 @ CAR
• Eric Ebron (IND): $3,600 @ PIT
• Cameron Brate (TB): $3,100 @ SEA

Defense

Redskins (WAS): $1,800 @ BUF
There is no way to pay up at defense this week, so I’m going all the way to the bottom of the list and taking a flier on the Redskins as the only sub-$2k D/ST on the slate. The Redskins defense hasn’t been a complete train wreck this season despite the team’s struggles as they have put up at least five DK points in each of their last six games. Meanwhile, they will face Josh Allen and the Bills who have allowed plenty of fantasy production to opposing defenses this season allowing 3.8 sacks and 1.5 turnovers per game over the last five weeks.

Other Notables:

• Bills (BUF): $3,800 vs. WAS
• Browns (CLE): $3,100 @ DEN
• Steelers (PIT): $2,400 vs. IND

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Brad Richter is a Featured Writer and correspondent at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.